Weighed down by a struggling economy, Obama seeks to remind the world of busy foreign agenda

For Obama, time to remind the world of his agenda

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is turning from a troubled domestic economy to the world stage this week as he recaps his efforts to reshape the image and diplomacy of the United States.

Obama’s trip to the United Nations in New York begins Wednesday afternoon. Last September, in his first presidential address to the General Assembly, he defined his new brand of U.S. engagement. This time, he is expected to defend it.

On Wednesday, Obama will offer his vision of U.S. aid to impoverished parts of the world, speaking at an anti-poverty conference.

In his centerpiece speech to world leaders on Thursday, Obama is expected to recount international efforts to keep Iran in line, slow the spread of nuclear weapons and revive plodding economies.